The Civil War Curriculum
Name: _________________
Date: _________________
Civil War Curriculum—Elementary Assessment
1. Which of the following was a major cause of the American Civil War?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Foreign Invasion
Immigration
Taxes
Slavery
2. What were the two major areas in which the Northern States and Southern States differed?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Economy and Culture
Food Production and Culture
Language and Food Production
Language and Education
3. On the following map what section shows the Southern region of the United States.
a.
b.
c.
d.
A
B
C
D
4. What was one way people throughout the country prepared for the Civil War?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Planted victory gardens
Collected weapons from previous wars
Bottled water
Collected old tires for rubber
The Civil War Curriculum
Elementary Assessment
5. Where were the first shots of the American Civil War fired?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Manassas
Yorktown
Fort Sumter
Gettysburg
6. Battles most often occurred at locations with…
a.
b.
c.
d.
A rail centers or a river located nearby
Many trees to hide behind
Trenches which have already been dug.
A big field of grass with plenty of room.
7. When did the Emancipation Proclamation go into effect?
a.
b.
c.
d.
September 22, 1862
December 25, 1862
January 1, 1863
April 9, 1865
8. Why did President Lincoln choose to present the Emancipation Proclamation after the Battle
of Antietam?
a.
b.
c.
d.
It was his birthday
He was busy after other battles
He thought this would make Union soldiers happy
He needed to issue it after a Union victory.
9. What advantage did the War Department’s Special Order 143: Creation of the U.S. Colored
Troops have for the Union Army?
a.
b.
c.
d.
The Union Army now had more troops
The Union Army now had more slaves to help the soldiers
The Union Army could now move West
The Union Army could now vote out its generals
10. What is NOT one of the duties a child might have during the Civil War?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Feeding the farm animals
Working in a car factory
Working in a textile factory
Selling goods at market
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The Civil War Curriculum
Elementary Assessment
11. What were the common ways people at home learned about the war?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Newspapers, photographs, and letters
Internet, newspapers, and photographs
Photographs, television, and letters
Letters, internet, and photographs
12. Before the Battle of Gettysburg the Union Army…
a.
b.
c.
d.
was shoeless and without food.
had lost a number of important battles in the Eastern Theater.
had won all the major battles again General Lee’s army.
had lost 90% of its men fighting in Virginia.
13. How did the victory at Gettysburg help the United States?
a.
b.
c.
d.
There was more food for American families.
Union soldiers were allowed to go home and help on the farm.
American hopes were lifted believing that the war could be won.
The Confederate Army surrendered, ending the war.
14. How did the Confederate surrender at Vicksburg help the Union Army?
a.
b.
c.
d.
More waterways were opened for fishing.
The Mississippi River now came under the control of the Union.
Union soldiers were allowed to go home and help on the farm.
Beaches were now opened for Union soldiers to swim.
15. For what occasion did Lincoln give the Gettysburg Address?
a.
b.
c.
d.
The dedication of a national cemetery
The end of the Battle of Gettysburg
The end of the Civil War
The end of slavery
16. What was one of the things Lincoln asked of the country in the Gettysburg Address?
a. To protect the Union capitol of Washington, DC from the Confederate forces.
b. To honor the dead soldiers by protecting a democratic government as they had on
the battlefield.
c. To bury all of the dead soldiers of the Civil War in individual graves.
d. To build monuments at every Civil War battle site.
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The Civil War Curriculum
Elementary Assessment
17. What item would a Civil War soldier most likely carry?
a.
b.
c.
d.
A walkie talkie
A haversack
A machine gun
A pillow
18. Which of the following is the correct order of events leading to the end of the Civil War?
a. President Lincoln is assassinated in Washington, DC, General Lee surrenders at
Appomattox, General Sherman enters Atlanta, Battle of Gettysburg
b. Battle of Gettysburg, General Sherman enters Atlanta, General Lee surrenders at
Appomattox, President Lincoln is assassinated in Washington, DC
c. Battle of Gettysburg, General Lee surrenders at Appomattox, General Sherman
enters Atlanta, GA, President Lincoln is assassinated in Washington, DC
d. Battle of Gettysburg, President Lincoln is assassinated in Washington, DC,
General Sherman enters Atlanta, GA, General Lee surrenders at Appomattox.
19. Which of the following was added to the United States Constitution after the Civil War?
a. The 2nd Amendment - the right of the people to keep and bear arms
b. The 13th Amendment - Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude…shall exist
within the United States
c. The 8th Amendment – no cruel and unusual punishments inflicted
d. The 26th Amendment - The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen
years of age or older to vote
20. What is one way to help preserve Civil War battlefield land?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Writing letters to government officials about protecting the local battlefield.
Littering the battlefield
Searching for Civil War artifacts on a battlefield
Camping on a battlefield
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The Civil War Curriculum
Elementary Assessment
DOCUMENT-BASED QUESTION
This question is based on the following documents. It is designed to test your ability to work with
historical documents. Some of these documents have been edited for the question. Review the
documents and answer the questions below each one. Be sure to closely review each document as
you will be using them to answer your final essay question.
Historical Context: After difficult moments in our nation’s history leaders will often step forward
to put the situation into context either through a speech or action. It is the task of historians to
review these speeches or actions and identify the leader’s intentions.
Task: Using information from the following documents and your knowledge of history answer
the questions that follow each document in Part A. Your answers to the questions will help you
write the Part B essay in which you will be asked to
1. Discuss the mood of the nation after the Battle of Gettysburg.
2. Describe what President Lincoln tried to accomplish with his
Gettysburg Address.
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Elementary Assessment
The Civil War Curriculum
Part A—Short Answer Questions
DIRECTIONS: Analyze the documents and answer the short-answer questions that follow each document
in the space provided.
DOCUMENT 1
Timeline of Eastern Battles Beginning in 1862
Date
Battle
1862
1862
1862
1863
1863
2nd Manassas
Antietam
Fredericksburg
Chancellorsville
Gettysburg
Casualties – Killed, wounded,
captured or missing. (Northern
and Southern)
22,180
23,100
17,929
24,000
51,000
Victor
Confederate
Union
Confederate
Confederate
Union
1a. According to the table above, who had more victories, the Union or the Confederacy?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
1b. Using the information in the table above, how do you think American citizens felt about the
war after Chancellorsville?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
1c. Using the information in the table above, how do you think American citizens felt about the
war after Gettysburg?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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The Civil War Curriculum
Elementary Assessment
Document 2
Photograph Following the Battle of Gettysburg
Source: Library of Congress http://memory.loc.gov
2. After the battle photographs such as the one above were made available for sale to the
public. Based on this photograph how do you think the American people felt about the war?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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The Civil War Curriculum
Elementary Assessment
Document 3
Illustration of Lincoln Giving the Gettysburg Address
Source: (Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003674448)
3a. Who is everyone in the picture looking at?
_________________________________________________________________
3b. What kind of emotions are the people in the crowd showing?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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The Civil War Curriculum
Elementary Assessment
Document 4
Last Paragraph of the Gettysburg Address
It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task
remaining before us —that, from these honored dead we take increased
devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of
devotion—that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in
vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that
government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish
from the earth.
Source: http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/primarysources/gettysburg-address.html
4a. Who is President Lincoln talking to?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
4b. Who are “these dead,” President Lincoln is talking about?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
4c. According to the document what does President Lincoln say the people need to do?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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The Civil War Curriculum
Elementary Assessment
Part B—Essay
DIRECTIONS: Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs,
and a conclusion. Use evidence from at least two of the above documents in your essay.
Support your response with examples and details. Be sure to use your prior knowledge on the
topic of the Civil War.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT: After difficult moments in our nation’s history leaders will often step
forward to put the situation into context either through a speech or action. It is the task of
historians to review these speeches or actions and identify the leader’s intentions.
TASK: Using information from the documents and your knowledge of the American Civil War,
answer the following question. Your answers to the questions in Part A will help you write the
Part B essay.
1. Discuss the mood of the nation after the Battle of Gettysburg.
2. Describe what President Lincoln tried to accomplish with his
Gettysburg Address.
GUIDELINES:
In your essay be sure to:
• Include an introduction, body, and conclusion
• Include information from at least two of the documents
• Include relevant outside information based on your knowledge of the Civil War
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The Civil War Curriculum
Elementary Assessment
DBQ SCORING RUBRIC
4 POINTS
• Answers the question(s), providing a response for every aspect of the question.
• Answers question(s) citing specific examples from given documents as well as
previous/outside knowledge.
• Provided examples from or referred to at least 2 of the given documents.
• Included introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Expresses ideas clearly throughout the essay.
3 POINTS
• Answers the question(s), providing a response for most aspects of the question.
• Answers question(s) citing general examples from given documents as well as
previous/outside knowledge.
• Provided examples from or referred to at least 1 of the given documents.
• Included introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Expresses ideas clearly for a majority of the essay.
2 POINTS
• Answer the question(s), providing a response for some aspects of the question.
• Answers question(s) displaying some understanding of the given documents and/or
outside/previous knowledge.
• Referred to at least 1 of the given documents.
• Included an introduction, body, or conclusion.
• Expressed their main idea or thesis within the essay.
1 POINT
• Limited responses to the question(s), main points are not addressed.
• Answer question(s) displaying little understanding of the given documents and/or
outside/previous knowledge.
• Reference to the documents in general.
• Included only one paragraph.
• Ideas are scattered, but within the topic
0 POINTS
• Little or no response to the question(s).
• Answer to question(s) is unrelated or off topic.
• No reference to the documents.
• Writing is illegible or incomplete
PART A:
PART B:
FINAL SCORE:
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